Usually, I don’t wear much makeup. In fact, I usually just wear some sort of lip balm and then I’m out the door. But I recently decided to start putting some more effort into my look. So can you share some tips and products to help me look put-together, but natural? I want to look like a prettier version of myself – but I also don’t have a lot of time in the mornings to apply makeup. Thanks a lot!

-Joan

Hi Joan,

I’m glad you’ve decided to show yourself some love by putting forth the little bit of effort to be a prettier you. Starting with just a few products will have you looking naturally beautiful and smiling in no time.

Tinted moisturizer, applied with your fingers to your face and blended into your neck, will even out your skin without feeling heavy at all. My favorites right now are from Laura Mercier and Lancome. Use a bit of concealer under your eyes to brighten up and also on any red or dark spots – try Smashbox High Definition Liquid Concealer.

If you brows need grooming, be sure to have this done. It gives an instant lift. Try filling in your brows with a brow pencil and focus on the mid to outer corners for the most natural result. Brow Tech To Go, also by Smashbox, is a personal fave. You can set your brow with the brow gel on the other end of the pencil.

Curl your lashes as I can’t stress enough how huge of a difference it makes. Just do it! LOL. Follow with a basic black mascara on top and bottom lashes and you won’t even need liner.

Looking in the mirror, smile and apply a bit of blush to the apples of your cheeks. To find the right shade for you, I recommend you go to a department store and have a makeup artist help you out. Another option is to choose a couple of drugstore shades and test them at home.

Answering this question brings back fond memories for me, so I will share them with you…

My mother never wore any makeup her entire life – aside from lip balm – and she still doesn’t. I do remember, though, that on very special and rare occasions, she would take out this pinkish, natural lipstick tube and in front of the mirror, softly dab it a few times on her lips, barely applying any color. Next she would very gently and cautiously dab that same lipstick onto her cheeks, followed by a smile in the mirror. All together, this took about 20 seconds. I’d stare up at her and smile because I thought she looked so beautiful that way. I’m smiling again right now at this memory, even twenty years later.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,MarioGot a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario’s expert advice!

I don’t have a big budget for cosmetics, but it seems that most of the inexpensive products I buy don’t look very good. Can you recommend some drugstore makeup that is comparable to department store makeup?

Thanks, Kourtney

Hi Kourtney,

When using drug store cosmetics, you should try switching up your technique and tools during application. An extra step or two should have you satisfied with the way your makeup looks. For example, a eyeshadow color that you love at the drugstore looks great in the package but when you bring it home and apply the color, it probably doesn’t glide smoothly or evenly stick to your lids. In this case, make sure your lids are primed with a shadow base or a bit of your foundation/concealer and set them with loose powder. This will ensure a smooth and even application. Your brush should not be too “fluffy” unless you are blending so choose a shadow brush with shorter, firmer bristles and dab/press the shadow onto the lids a few times. Using a cream shadow first followed by a powder also works well and gives a richer look.

A tip for making inexpensive, hard liners easily glide on to give you nice pigment is to first heat them with a blow dryer or a lighter. You’d be surprised at how the texture of the pencil becomes rich and emollient. If you try this, please wait a few seconds before you apply the hot pencil to your face.

I find as I get older, my skin needs a lot more coverage and does not have as much luster. Is there a specific product that could help because if I use too much concealer, I look too made up and if I use too much highlighter, it is not smooth looking – and too much glitter on older skin just doesn’t look good. Can you recommend some products to use to cover and give the appearance of smooth maturing skin? I am going to turn 42 next month and I am a single mother of a 19-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son and I feel I have lost my shine….please help!

Regards,Sue

Hi Sue,

I get asked this question a lot from women! As our skin changes with age naturally, the makeup you wear should change as well and same goes for your skin care regimen. Start with your skin products first because it can make a huge difference. Use anti-aging, lifting and collagen-boosting products and always use a rich eye cream like the Eye Balm Intense by La Mer.

For foundation, I recommend you go with a liquid like DiorSkin Sculpt Line-Smoothing Lifting Makeup SPF 20. It covers nicely, contains light-reflecting crystals and gives a glow to the skin. Just blend it well and make sure that the color is a perfect match. If your skin is dry, you can skip powder all together or apply a little loose powder to set the t-zone. For concealer, it’s important again to use a liquid and one with anti-wrinkle or lifting properties. A great one is Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector by Maybelline.

To finish off your face, I think every woman should use a makeup setting spray or even Evian spray, especially if you use powder. There are so many out there that are amazing! One of my favorites is 10 Years Younger Makeup Setting Spray by Motives. Apply it right after you finish your makeup and throughout the day to refresh your makeup and keep you glowing.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario’s expert advice!

As a beauty junkie, I just want to say how awesome it is to get to write and ask you a question. And if you’re reading this question, that’s even more awesome. You are so talented and I really admire your abilities. Anyway, moving on – here’s my question. Do your eye shadow, blush and lipstick/gloss have to be in the same color family? I’m always so confused about the rules. Like, if I wear warm tones on my eyes, do my cheeks and lips also have to be warm toned too? And if not and it’s okay to mix them up, do you have any tips for how to coordinate them all? Thanks so much, Mario!

Love, Leslie

Leslie,

Thank you! This is a great question so I want all the ladies to pay attention, please. 😉 To help rid yourself of confusion, get rid of “the rules.” There are no rules or laws when it comes to makeup, but there are a lot of options.

Eye, cheek and lip colors do not have to be in the same color family. For those of you who don’t know, warm tones are shades like brown, bronze, yellow and peach. Purple, pink and blue are all cool tones. I think mixing cool with warm tones can have a beautiful result. Let’s say your skin is warm with a yellow undertone and you do your eye makeup with purple shadows which are cool tones, it doesn’t mean that your cheeks and lips have to be cool. I think a warmer cheek like peach and bronze and a nude lip in this situation paired with the cool eye is aesthetically more flattering.

A client of mine once referred to me as the “mix master of makeup,” LOL. I mix everything on the back of my hand to see the result. One of the best parts of doing what I do is being able to “wipe it if I don’t like it.”

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario’s expert advice!